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BROKEN EMPIRE
A period of extensive civil conflict generally occurring between 336-399 LC, the Broken Empire is a period of history most famous for the almost absolute collapse of the Corianth Empire. Egged on by the ambitious lure of greater control and authority, the Holy Father, Porillis I directly challenged the power of the imperial throne. Succeeding at first to removed the kindly but gullible Emperor Ansuber, Porillis I reposed a moment too long to bask in his success, a cunning general named Ariminios Danarios ascending the throne as Dun I before Porillis I could place his puppet forward for the seat of imperial power. Angered by this, Porillis I displayed nothing but contempt by the new Emperor, the like of which was enough to enrage the normally placid Dun I. In a moment of anger, Dun I ordered the Emperors Guard to forcibly remove Porillis I from the city itself, and its boundaries, proclaimed him banished beyond the circumference of its walls, and effectively threw the Holy Father out of the city of Corianth.
Now, according to the Constitution of Sephis, a Holy Father is fundamentally the Bishop of Corianth. By removing Porillis I from the city itself, the Emperor had effectively exiled the Holy Father from his very seat of power. To the Order of Omicron within the city of Corianth, the situation was totally unacceptable, and they loyally and constantly petitioned Dun I to allow Porillis I into the city to perform his legal and religious duties, a situation the Emperor refused to entertain on account of Porillis I continued tirade of abuse from beyond the city walls.
And then Porillis I died, apparently from apoplexy, leaving his ecclesiastical throne vacated.
Although a man crowned as Holy Father Ophis IX was next elected by the College of Cardinals in the city of Corianth, this decision was not universally accepted among those of the Order of Omicron throughout the Corianth Empire, especially as Ophis IX carried similar manners to the man before him, working against those who would resort to a more diplomatic approach. When Dun I died and his son, the proclaimed Galadon II, took the throne without the Holy Father crowning him, the young Emperor refused to listen to Ophis IX 's pleas or insults. As this situation continued, less loyally inclined bishops and religious men of the Order of Omicron about the other cities and kingdoms, observing the futility of the current situation, suggested themselves to take over the duties of Holy Father. And as they did so, remembering the clause in the Constitution of Sephis that states that only a Holy Father can crown a man Emperor, upon the death of Dun I, a whole host of new proclaimed Emperors became slow apparent across the Corianth Empire. Although Dun I 's eldest son remained on the throne in the city of Corianth as Galadon II, other kingdoms grew restless in their own ambition. When Galadon II died in 336 LC, his son was unable to gather enough support about himself for the position of Emperor, the other kingdoms ultimately refusing to acknowledge his position.
And thus numerous kingdoms in the Corianth Empire decided their own relative Emperors and Holy Fathers to lead them, plunging the whole Corianth Empire into a series of unremitting wars and larger conflicts within itself. Whole kingdoms were removed from the map, while some smaller ones profited at the expense of the unwary or overburdened larger states. And as a whole the general population of the Corianth Empire suffered terribly for it. The peasantry were called to arms, taking those who would till the land from their farms. Eventually food shortages began to spread throughout the Corianth Empire until mass starvation began to occur in the poorer settlements. The peasantry suffered worst, and even the rich found their purses quickly emptying, causing the pace of war to accelerate furiously and desperately, all in a final attempt to regain their losses. Armies were wiped out, towns and villagers massacred, and whole fleets were sunk at sea.
Natural disaster struck also at this time in other ways, as the once proud and noble city of Serrilinus was almost completely destroyed by a powerful earthquake, those who survived to live among the rubble finding themselves unable to rebuild while the wars ravaged on. Even in peace, those poorer inhabitants who had remained found themselves forever unable to recapture the past glory of their world.
Social revolution also took its place, and among the numerous uprisings and revolts, the city of Corianth itself became a focus to demands for the end of slavery, and calls for some measure of Eptemian style democracy, all demonstratively shouted for by a discharged peasant soldiery who had learned all manner of organisation, logistics, and tactics while serving under arms. Although the ringleaders were eventually hanged, the movement had made its mark, and as peace finally returned, their very wishes were granted, though only in some limited manner, much to the chagrin of those who survived and found themselves even more so exploited in the under-used post war labour-market.
The end of all conflict was only finally marked and universally agreed by the election of an Irithian nobleman, soon to be crowned as Borron II, to the imperial throne, a deacon native to the city of Corianth named Fariel taking the position of a new and universally accepted Holy Father with his own name.
And so it was that the period of history known as the Broken Empire ended. Except that it is a period of history not yet satisfactorily closed. Many of the old arguments have continually simmered and all unresolved, many of which concerning confiscated lands and unjustly claimed territories. Border disputes are still very prevalent. And because of the relatively recent and destructive reforms of Wrenis, the Corianth Empire again no longer has a Holy Father. Therefore the current ruler, Sephis VI, could not be crowned as Emperor by the highest authority of the Order of Omicron, as stipulated in the Constitution of Sephis. And now the Bishop of Mardin is contemplating reforming the Order of Omicron about himself, all under the auspices of Irithia's new king, Nicepheros Comas, who is known to favour independence from the Corianth Empire ...
History is about to repeat itself.
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